The Sound of Happiness
by Charon53
Summary: One-shot! It starts in the movie, Christmas themed!


_**THE SOUND OF HAPPINESS**_

 **-So at first: Welcome! At second: I'm from the Netherlands so this is not my native langue and I also understand the German right well so I'm going to put that some more in the story. These charters do not belong to me!-**

The boat tilted sideways as the all stood to say hello their father. They all fell in to the water as they lost their balance. When they all were out of the water they stood there dripping on the stone floor.

"Papa, we had a wonderful day together with fraulein Maria." Marta said smiling.

"We sang songs and played in the grass." Kurt said and tried to stand proud against his father.

"So if I'm not mistaking you've been playing in the grass landscape of the mountains, sang songs while I have forbidden you to sing, that you're wearing curtains and that you are wet from top to bottom?" The captain spoke to his children on the tone he normal used to them and when he said the last words he kneeled in front of Gretl who was shyly wiggling on her feet and she nodded. "Children! Go inside and change your clothing before you get a cold. Stay, fraulein." He stood and held Maria from walking after the children.

"They had so much fun singing and playing in the grass, the first time after such a long a long time I believe." Maria said smiling bright.

"My children do not climb trees or run trough meadow and especially not in some old cloth. I also forbid you and the children to sing not here or somewhere else. Understood?" Maria nodded and for once, she did not argue. She was very disappointed about the outburst of the Captain because she saw how much fun they had singing and playing together because now she really could feel the grim atmosphere in and around the house. Maria changed in a simple blue gown and got lost in her thoughts. When she came back out of her thoughts, she looked up at the clock on the wall before she rushed downstairs. Just in time for dinner, she took her seat and they ate in silence. He gave her a few warning looks while they were eating. Maria went right to her room after dinner was over. She prayed on the edge of her bed for a long time. She still had to thank the lord for the good food. She hoped that the lord would guide her and help her on how to bring back the joy in to the family. Finished with praying she got in to her bed. 'It won't be too bad to make fun with them around here. I can still make them laugh and see those beautiful smiles.' More of these thought entered her mind and that caused that it took a while before she fell asleep.

* * *

Those beautiful summer days went by as the green leaves changed in more brown, yellow and red colors.

Nothing strange happened in the days between the beautiful days dressed in the curtains. Not long after Elsa departure from the Trapps mason to Vienna. Maria hadn't used her guitar or her lovely voice to make music. She luckily got along with the children of captain von Trapp and sometimes they all drank tea together and had a nice chat. Not playing guitar and singing was a very sad thought that played all the time when she saw the case standing in the corner of her bedroom. When one of the children could not sleep due to a bad dream or something else, she would sing softly in their ears till they would be asleep.

"Guten Morgen." Maria smiled as she took her seat at the table for breakfast. She received some little nods from the children.

"Good morning, fraulein Maria." The Captain greeted her. "I think it soon will be time to get the decorations from the attic wouldn't it?" Kurt and Marta nodded very enthusiastically knowing if they would be nice now they would get presents on Christmas morning, of course they would not forget the rest of them.

"Children!" The captain called from the middle of the hall and waited till they all stood in line before he spoke again. "I thought it would be a very good idea to take you all out for a walk. Get your coats before we go outside." He watched his kids go upstairs again before he took his own coat handed by fraulein Schmidt. "Danke." He said to her and walked to the door while his children came back downstairs with their jackets on. He walked outside followed by seven other souls. The sky was clouded with a thick grey blanket.

Georg walked with his children through Salzburg and he stopped when he came to the big fountain.

"No one has something to tell?" He asked them while he took a seat at the edge of the fountain. He looked up at the sky and for the first time in a long time there appeared a little smile on his lips.

Little snowflakes danced from high up in the sky till they met the grass in the park or in this case the skin of the Marine captain. Soon more came from the sky and it didn't take long before there was joy everywhere.

"Should we slowly walk to home again?" Thr Captain asked and when all the children were back with him, they all made their way back to the house and the children as father himself were in a much better mood.

Maria had done many things while they were outside. An empty pine tree stood proud in the hall and a dozen boxes stood stacked next to it. The hall smelled like fresh baked cookies. Maria could not help but smile when she saw the smiling faces of the kids.

"It's snowing outside!" Brigitta exclaimed with a smile.

"I think I have the perfect thing fitting with that." Frau Schmidt walked from the kitchen to the hall with a silver tray filled with cookies. "Ich habe auch Schokolademilch." Frau Schmidt handed every of the children a mug with chocolate milk.

"If we are finished with that, I think we can decorate the hall. You're going to help me and Maria?" Georg asked his children with a little smile. Maria had to wipe some chocolate moustache before they could start with decorating. On the railing, he hung garland changing between a star or a pair of bells with them. Liesl and Brigitta helped her father and Maria helped Gretl to decorate the big tree. Friedrich, Louisa and Kurt started to decorate the dining room. And not to forget Marta also helped to decorate the Christmas tree.

"Dinner is to be served." Frau Schmidt told the family in the hall.

"We will come in a minute. There's one thing left to do." Georg told Frau Schmidt and he careful picked Gretl from the ground and lifted her to his hip. Liesl gave Gretl the star that was mending to be on the top of the tree. Georg climbed the ladder and lifted Gretl some higher so she could place the missing piece on place.

"Well done!" Everyone said with a smile before they left the hall for dinner in the dining room. It was already dark but you could see from the light that shone outside that is was still snowing. The tablecloth had changed from white to dark red with golden motives embroidered in it and a centerpiece with pinecones and pine branches. Red bows where tied on the chairs and some more decorations with pinecones and pine branches were set in front of the windows.

After dinner, they decorated some more things and putted candles in the Christmas tree. But soon enough was it bedtime for the children. Georg wished them a good night and Maria made sure that they were all in bed safe and well before she went herself to bed.

* * *

It was already light outside when Maria awoke and slowly made her way downstairs. Before she even had entered the dining room he heard joyful shatters coming from it.

"Good morning, fraulein Maria." Captain von Trapp said when he saw Maria.

"Good morning!" She said with a smile while she took her place at the table.

"Are you coming with us to make a snowman outside?" Brigitta asked and took another bite from her bread.

"A snowman?" Maria asked with a smile while she looked at the others.

"Nine of them to be precise." Kurt smiled.

"But you're only with seven." Maria said.

"Yes, we are, but we thought papa also needed one and sins you also are a part of the family you should get one too." Louisa said while she first looked at her father and then to Maria herself.

"Well then, if everyone finished their breakfast we will dress up warm before we go outside." Maria said after she finished her tea. After everyone had finished all the children got their coats and tied their scarves around their necks. "Does everyone have their gloves?" Maria asked while she putted on her own. A few moments later, they all were outside playing in the snow, busy making snowballs and rolling them so they would get bigger. Two hours later three snowmen stood upright and all of them began to get it rather cold.

"I think it's time you all come inside to get warm again." The captain said from a little distance. The girls happily agreed with it while the boys were too busy with their snow fight to get it warm again, if they were cold at all. "I think you need some more help if you want to have all the snowmen ready before it's dark. Would you mind me helping?"

"Oh, no papa. I think it's really fun if you come and help us building them." The girls said smiling while they jumped up again from their seats to get their coats on. Maria smiled at Georg while she dressed herself to get outside again. Georg dressed warm as well before he got outside and scooped p a hand full of snow making a snowball throwing it very well aimed at Frederich.

"Father? Was that you, or did someone else throw it?"

"Do you think I am too old to come and play in the snow with my boys?" The captain asked back while he made another snowball. Kurt who was actually losing the snow fight now had his chance and threw a few snowballs at his brother, when he out of nowhere he received a snowball from somewhere he did not expect it to come. Georg smiled at his youngest son who looked questioned at him. "Are you both coming to help fraulein Maria and your sisters to build their snowmen?" He asked and soon nine snowmen stood there next to each other in line. They dressed the seven snowmen from the children with the clothes Maria had made from the curtains. They used sticks for arms, and little stones for eyes and a smile. The snowman of Maria they gave them a big straw hat and the snowman from Georg got an old black hat. When they all were happy with their result, they got inside just in time before it started to get dark.

"Wasn't that fun?" Maria asked while she brushed the snow of her own coat and helped the others.

"Oh yes!" She recieved in unison from all seven.

* * *

When Christmas finally arrived all of the children wereawake before it was light. "Come one, Maria! I want to go and see if there are presents beneath the christmas three!." Kurt said while he shook the shoulder of Maria.

"Good morning." Maria yawned while she sat up. "Should we wait till your father has awoken before we're going to look?"

"Oh let's go and awake him." Kurt said while he jumped of Maria's bed.

"No, that is not what I meant." Maria called but neither of them heared or wanted to hear it. Fifteen minutes later the Captain walked along with his seven children to Maria's bedroom.

"Fraulein, sind Sie fertig?" Georg asked

"Yes I'm ready." Maria said while she stepped out of her room in her robes. She walked along with them to the hall where all kinds of presents lay beneath the Christmastree. All of them looked for their own presents as hey were all overjoyed with their own one.

"There is one left. It said Maria on it." Liesl said while she looked at the very little present that was not bigger that a ball that would belong on one of the branches of the tree. Liesl gave it to her and Maria accepted it. she unwrapped the paper and opened the little box to find a little silver ring in it.

"If I can interupt?" Georg said. "Maria, you have been so good for the children that they could not go without you anymore, neither can I. The thing I wish to say or rather ask you is... Woud you like to marry me?" Georg said while he kneeled in front of her and with a slight tremble in his normally o so steady hands. He picked the ring from the boox and slid it around her left ringfinger.

"What are you going to say?" Frederich spoke for all of his awaiting brothers and sisters.

"I do not think I could live without you all, do I? Then I suppose to say yes." Maria smiled and she kissed her new fiancé.

They spent the whole afternoon and evening playing with their new toys and singing songs together. This was a Christmas to never forget.

 **-I hope you all liked it, and if you did review please!**

 **A merry Christmas and a happy new year to all of you!**

 **Een mooie kerst en een gelukkig nieuwjaar!**

 **Ein schönes Weihnachtsfest und ein glückliches Neues Jahr!**

 **Ein schöne kerst en ein gooie roetsj!-**


End file.
